History of the Gambia

The earliest inhabitants of The Gambia are unknown, but they left behind large shell middens and enigmatic stone circles attesting to diverse subsistence strategies and well-organized, hierarchical societies. In the 13th century, the Mali Empire expanded into the Gambia river valley, where Mandinka warriors and traders founded (or took over) numerous small states.

The first Europeans to visit the Gambia River were the Portuguese in the 15th century. The opening of seaborne trade made the region economically important for Mali and the rival Jolof Empire. When Mali collapsed in 1599, the former vassal kingdoms were free to set their own policy towards each other and the newcomers.

1677 saw the beginning of a century-and-a-half-long struggle between the English and French for control over seaborne trade in the Gambia and Senegal. The English possessions were captured several times by the French, but in the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, the British rights to the region were recognized by the French, but European physical presence remained limited.

This changed in the early 19th century, when Captain Alexander Grant was sent to re-establish a British presence on the Gambia river. He established Bathurst which was renamed as Banjul after independence in 1965 and the British possessions continued to grow in size through a series of treaties. Mostly administered in conjunction with other colonies, and nearly sold to France on several occasions, it was established as the separate Colony, and Protectorate in 1894.

In 1901, legislative and executive councils were established for the Gambia, and in the 1920s Edward Francis Small led the push for emancipation, founding the Bathurst Trade Union and the Ratepayers' Association, which laid the foundation for local Gambian participation in the colonial government for the first time. Following World War II, the push towards self-government increased its pace, and the House of Representatives was established in 1960. Pierre Sarr N'Jie served as Chief Minister from 1961 to 1962, though following the 1962 election Dawda Jawara became prime minister, beginning the People's Progressive Party's dominance of Gambian politics for the next thirty years. Full internal self-government was achieved in 1963, and following extensive negotiations, the Gambia declared independence in 1965.

In 1970 the country became a presidential republic, with Dawda Jawara elected as the first president. He survived an attempted coup in 1981, and brifly led his country into the Senegambia Confederation. In 1994, Jawara was overthrown in another coup d'état led by Yahya Jammeh, who ruled as a military dictator for two years before being elected president in 1996 and continuing in this role until 2017. In the 2016 election, Adama Barrow was elected president, backed by a coalition of opposition parties. Jammeh's refusal to step down led to a constitutional crisis and the intervention of ECOWAS forces, but he was eventually forced into exile.